Bed



JJ H. WITTMANN.

BED.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12. I918.

Patented May 9, 1922.

l l v I! A TTORNEY 4 W m H V../ H WW4 m 2 M m y B JLH. WITTMANN.

BED. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12. 1918.

Patented May 9, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' 1N VENTOR wage/7 bf flW/mm z BY Ariomvz JOSEPH H. wrrrmann, or Kansas CITY, airssonni.

BED.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josnrn l'rlalVrrTrrANN, a citizen of the United fit-ates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and btateof hiiissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beds; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it ap Jertains to malte and use the same, reitcrence being; had to the accompanyin drawings, and to the letters and figures oirefer ence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. r

This invention relates to beds and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a bed structure, the bottom of which may be constructed of a flexible sheet having uniform longitudinal tension, the tension on.

the sheet being evenly distributed throughout its width, so that when the sheet is drawn taut, the same tension will be exerted as tar as practicable on each of the warp threads sothat liability of the sagging of the bed bottom between the longitudinal edges, will be reduced to 'a minimum if not wholly avoided.

' Another object of the invention. is to provide meanswhereby the length of. the effective portion of the bed bottom maybe decreased or diminished as occasion may demand; and further provide means whereby a variable tension may be exerted upon the bed bottom to compensate for varying weights supported by said bottom.

I am aware that it is old topermanently support flexible canvas sheets or sheets 01. other material to apply the same as a hammock or bed but in so farasl am aware all such devices have an inherent tendency to sag or permit slack which adds to the discomfort ot the occupant.

I have provided means whereby substantially the entire bed bottom may be maintained ina horizontal plane without sag? ging so that the occupant may lie flat at all times.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown the bed attached to a motor vehicle body, its application under such circumstances being capable of convenient installation without altering the motor vehicle, and its'storage when not in use requires but little space in the vehicle.

Specification. of letters latent.

ifatentetl Inlay 9, 1922.

Application filed September 12, 1918. Serial No. 253,715.

In the drawings: v

F i. is a perspective view'ofa motor ve: hicle to which my invention is attached;

Figpli is a fragmentary side elevational view of the motor vehicle showing-the invention appliedv Fig. III is a perspective view ofthe bed bottom showingthe slack take up bars detached, part of the fabric being, broken away to illustrate one endbar of the sheet.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through one of the slack take up bars.

Fig. V is a detail view of oneol the drawlreys adapted for use in connection with, my invention.

. Referring now to the drawings by numerals'of reference:

l designates the bed. bottom which may consist of a flexible sheet having a hem or pocket 2 at one end to. receive the transverseliy disposed end bar 3, the hem being cut away at't and 5 to permit the introduc tion of the stays 6 which may be anchored:

to a suitable support, as for example, the- Each barmay be reinforced by a strap 14 and each bar may be provided with a plurality of eye-bolt receiving openings 15 into which may be introduced an eye-bolt 16 adapted to be fulcrumed upon the body top rest iron 17 whereby the levers may be turned upon the axis of said iron. Secured to the levers 12 and 13, on the ends distant from sockets: 10 and 11 aresprin'gs 18' connected to cords or cables 19 on which are draw-keys 20whereby the cable 19 may pass around the carriage top bow supports 21 so as to enable the draw-keys to adjust ten sion on the take up levers 12 and 13.

When it is desired to erect that embodi- The ends of the bar 9 are-rectangular andfit in the sockets 10 and 11 of the slack take upbars 12 and 13..

ment of my invention which" is capable of body.

car. The eye bolts 16 may be slipped over.

the top rest irons and fastened in place by suitable cotter pins. The operator then passes the cable or cord 19 over the member 21 and through themedium of the drawkeys 20 exert the desired tension on spring 18 and through said spring and lever, the flexible sheet 1 will be drawn taut.

Inasmuch as the bars 3 and 9 extend entirely across the sheet and since each bar is fastened evenly on the sheet, a proper uniform tension may be extended throughout the bed bottom 1. If the sheet is too long, the material may be Wound on the bar 9. if it is desired to lengthen the sheet, the bar 9 may be removed from the sockets 10 and Ill and enough material unwound to provide the desired length. Before attaching the levers 12 and 13 to the rectangular ends of the bar 9, the fulcrum members consisting of the screw eye 16" may be inserted in'suitable openings 15 to provide the necessary tension for a given weight. The spring silpplied will usually be of a uniform scale, that is the same springs-will be capable of use under all conditions. As is well understood it is one of the desirable features in beds to have the requisite amount of resiliency without permitting undue sag. A bed with springs sufliciently elastic to provide the requisite amount of resiliency for a light body, would be-too light to support a heavy body and conversely, springs which are sufliciently rigid to provide the requisite amount of support for a heavy body, will be too strong to supply the necessaryresiliency for a light The necessar" amount of resilienc' 1 y aswell as the necessary amount-of tension is provided according to myinvention by varying the fulcrums of the levers 12 and 13. For example, when a heavy body is to be supported upon the bed bottom l, the ful-' crum shown as a screw eye, will be in the uppermost opening 15, thereby permitting the maximum amount of leverage'to be ex-- erted by the depending ends of the levers 12 and 13. lVhen however, a lighter body is side, therefore the required amount of resili-- ency will be obtainable with the body of less weight than when the fulcrums are in the uppermost openings 15, .v v 7 It will be apparent that when the sheet is wound or unwound'from the bar9, any further unwinding is prevented after the sockets 1O and ll receive the ends of the bar set: up for use.

, JIi/wWl ll also be' observed that the device may be set up in the quickest possible time, i

some other convenient part of the motor vehicle; the motor vehicle beingthe most useful embodiment of the invention known at this time, although obviously the invention may partake of other embodiments.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a motor vehicle bed, a sheet having means at one end for attachment to a motor vehicle, a winding bar, angular in cross section and located at the other end of the sheet, fulcrum levers having angular sockets into which the ends of the winding bar engages, a fulcrum member for each lever, and yielding' connections for the free ends of each lever.

2. in a mo tor vehicle bed, asheet, supporting means at one end of the sheet, a winding bar angular in cross section at the other end of the sheet and upon which the sheet may age to be stored with the top curtains or in be wound, detachable fulcrum levers for the 7 'bar having angular sockets intowhich the opposite direction to impart tension to the sheet.

3. in a motor vehicle having a top and provided with top rest irons andtopbody supports, the combination of a sheet, means for fastening one end of the sheet to the front portion of the motor vehicle above the the sheet, levers on each. side of the vehicle and havingtheir upper ends fastened to the tension bar, means for fulcrummg the levers .1. J. 1,. 1 to the top rest irons of the vehlcle, and

means for yieldingly connecting the lower ends of the levers to the top body supports of the motor vehicle. 4 g

i. In a motor vehlcle having a top and provided with top rest irons and top body supports, the combination of a sheet, means for fastening one end. of, the sheet to the front portion of the motor vehicle above the seat back, a tension bar at the other encl of the. sheet. levers on each sideof the vehicle and having their upper ends fastened to the tension. bar, means for fulcruming the levers to the top rest irons of thevehicle, and means for yieldingly and adiustablyconnecting the lower ends of the levers to the top body supports of the motor vehicle.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

JOSEPH H. WITTMANN.

seat back. a tensionbar attheother end of 

